Adjustable ear cover assembly for safety hats

ABSTRACT

A pair of flexible nonelastic straps made of a plastics material are connected by an intermediate nonelastic strap to form a band adapted to extend around the nape of the neck in engagement with it. The nonelastic straps extend across the outer sides of a pair of ear covers and are provided with longitudinal slots receiving headed bosses projecting centrally from the ear covers. The ends of the band are provided with means for connecting them to the bottom of a safety hat in front of the ears when the hat is worn on the head, whereby the band will hold the ear covers in place over the ears.

Unite States Patent 11 1 Davison et al.

3,845,505 Nov. 5, 1974 1 ADJUSTABLE EAR COVER ASSEMBLY FOR SAFETY HATS [75] Inventors: Ellison L. Davison, Gibsonia; Robert F. Menold, Monroeville, both of Pa.

[73] Assignee: Mine Safety Appliances Company,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: June 28, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 374,528

[52] US. Cl. 2/209, 2/3 R [51] Int. Cl A421) 1/24 [58] Field of Search 2/209, 3 R; 179/156 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 849,102 4/1907 Borneman 2/209 1,560,718 11/1925 Nowosielski 179/156 R 2,504,826 4/1950 Goldman 2/209 3,430,261 3/1969 Benner l79/l56 R Primary Examiner-Jordan Franklin Assistant Examiner-Peter Nerbun Attorney, Agent, or Finn-Brown, Murray, Flick &. Peckham [5 7] ABSTRACT A pair of flexible nonelastic straps made of a plastics material are connected by an intermediate nonelastic strap to form a band adapted to extend around the nape of the neck in engagement with it. The nonelastic straps extend across the outer sides of a pair of ear covers and are provided with longitudinal slots receiving headed bosses projecting centrally from the ear covers. The ends of the band are provided with means for connecting them to the bottom of a safety hat in front of the ears when the hat is worn on the head, whereby the band will hold the ear covers in place over the ears.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures PMENTEUNUV smu i 3.845.505

ADJUSTABLE EAR COVER ASSEMBLY FOR SAFETY HATS In copending patent application Ser. No. 298,958, filed O'ct. l9, I972, adjustable-ear covers for use with safety hats are shown. These covers are held in place over the ears by a band extending around the nape of the neck and hooked onto the bottom of the hat in front of the ears. The band extends through rotatable members attached to the outer sides of the ear covers and the latter can be slid lengthwise of the band. The present invention is directed to similar ear covers, but they are adjustably connected to the band in an im-. proved manner, and the band itself is improved.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide an ear cover assembly to be supported by a safety hat in which the ear covers are adjustably connected to their supporting band in a simple and inexpensive manner, and in which'the band is formed from short straps of different materials connected end to end. Another object is to prevent the ear covers from creeping up the sides of the crown of the hat when they have been removed from the ears and-raised to a storage position against the opposite sides of the crown.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a side view;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary rear view;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line III-III of FIG. 1, but partly in elevation; and

FIG. 4 is an edge view of the nape strap.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, safety headgear, such as a helmet or hat having a hard shell 1, is provided with a brim. At the inner edge of the brim, where it merges into the bottom of the crown, there is a downwardly extending narrow flange 2 as shown in FIG. 3. At opposite sides of the hat this flange is provided with holes 3 that are disposed in front of the ears of the person wearing the hat. The location of these holes is a little forward of the ears. Extending through these holes are hooks 4 that are provided with loops, in which the ends of a band 5 are secured. The band extends from the hooks downwardly and rearwardly across the ears and around the nape of the neck. This band supports two ear covers 6 and presses them against the opposite sides of the head around the ears. Fastening members other than hooks can be used for attaching the band to the hat, if desired. Also, the band could be attached to the customary shell lining instead of to the shell 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, each ear cover includes a rigid cup 8, inside of which there is a thick lining 9 of foam rubber or plastic to deaden sound. A flexible skirt 10 is stretched over the marginal portion of the cup and extends radially inward from it across the edge of the lining, which projects a short distance from the cup to prevent the edge of the cup from coming in contact with the head. The center of the outer side or back wall of the cup is provided with a headed boss 11 that projects outwardly from it. A rigid cup-like washer 12, having an edge that conforms to the curvature of the adjoining surface of the cup and engages that surface, encircles the boss. A similar outer Washer 13 on the boss fits around the head of the boss. The sides of the two washers facing each other are flat.

It is a feature of this invention that band 5 is formed from three short straps connected end to end. The two end straps 15 are substantially identical and nonelastic and are formed from a plastics material, such as polyethylene or other synthetic resin. The adjacent or inner ends of these straps are connected to an intermediate elastic strap 16 that can be adjusted in length in a conventional manner, as shown in FIG. 4. This middle strap is looped through slots 17 in the adjoining ends of the end straps. Each of the end straps 15 extends across the back or outer surface of one of the ear covers. The inner end portion of each end strap is provided with a longitudinal slot 18 just wide enough to receive the boss 11 on the adjoining ear cover. The heads of the bosses prevent the ear covers and straps from becoming disconnected. The outer ends of band 5 are looped through slots in the hooks 4 attached to the hat in front of the wearers ears. The longitudinal slots 18 allow the ear covers to be adjusted along the nonelastic straps and to be turned relative to the straps to the most comfortable position. In use, the band extends downwardly from the safety hat and extends obliquely across the ear covers when the latter are positioned correctly on the head. To suit the individual wearer of the headgear, any desired angular adjustment can be made between the ear covers and band merely turning the covers.

It will be seen that the invention disclosed herein permits the ear covers to be held firmly against the head with any desired amount of pressure, depending upon the effective length of the elastic-middle strap 16. The extension of the band around the back of the neck helps to hold the hat in place on the head. The angle at which the band extends across the ear covers is selfadjusting, as are the positions of the covers lengthwise of the slotted nonelastic straps. The only portions of the band that project beyond the sides of the hat are the short portions that extend across the ear covers, and even these portions fit snugly against the covers.

When it is desired to remove the ear covers from the ears without removing the ear cover assembly from the safety hat, the back portion of band 5 can be lifted up over the back of the hat at the same time that the ear covers are moved up against the opposite sides of the crown of the hat as shown in dotted lines in FIG. I. The ear covers in this temporary storage position therefore remain attached to the hat even when they are not being used. They may be turned from their operating position so that they will not extend up so far from the hat brim. However, since the tension on the band caused by the elastic strap would tend to make the band and ear covers slide or creep upwardly on the convex crown, means is provided for positively holding the band down. For this purpose a hook 20 is mounted on the center strap 16 and can be hooked under the rear edge of the hat after that strap has been raised above the hat brim. The book will prevent the strap from creeping upwardly on the crown.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle of our invention and have illustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, we desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

We claim:

1. The combination with a safety hat provided with a brim, a pair of protective ear covers having inner sides shaped to receive a man's ears and engage the side of his head around the ears, a headed boss projectouter side of one of said ear covers and provided with a longitudinal slot receiving the adjoining headed boss, whereby the ear covers are adjustable lengthwise of the straps, and C-shaped hook means slidably mounted on said elastic strap for gripping the brim of the hat when the elastic strap and said ear covers are in a stored position above the brim. 

1. The combination with a safety hat provided with a brim, a pair of protective ear covers having inner sides shaped to receive a man''s ears and engage the side of his head around the ears, a headed boss projecting centrally from the outer side of each ear cover, a supporting device for said ear covers comprising three straps connected end to end and forming a closed path when attached to the hat, means located on the opposite ends of said supporting device for securing it to the bottom of the hat, the two end straps being flexible and nonelastic, the third strap being elastic and adapted to extend around the nape of the neck in engagement therewith, each of said end straps extending across the outer side of one of said ear covers and provided with a longitudinal slot receiving the adjoining headed boss, whereby the ear covers are adjustable lengthwise of the straps, and Cshaped hook means slidably mounted on said elastic strap for gripping the brim of the hat when the elastic strap and said ear covers are in a stored position above the brim. 